Hearing loss frequently starts out with mild, almost unperceivable changes that can be easy to overlook. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to notice and bring attention to a person’s hearing trouble. While children are routinely assessed, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Indications That You May Require a Hearing Evaluation
All through the day, there are many instances when you might miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Are you noticing yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a loud restaurant make it more difficult to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are there misunderstandings at work or at home causing disputes?
These type of situations can happen on a daily basis and continue to affect relationships.
Specific Reasons Why You Should Have Your Hearing Checked On A Regular Basis
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing screening every 10 years up until age 50, and adults over the age of 50 should get one every 3 years.
1. Genetic makeup
If your family members are experiencing hearing troubles, it is a good idea to schedule a hearing examination with a professional specializing in hearing health.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can determine potential issues or areas for improvement. There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that may require further evaluations or treatments.
3. Helps Measure Future Changes
Every fresh test will analyze recent data alongside previous tests. Certain changes occur slowly, and the tests will pinpoint any changes that may not be noticeable to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Issues
New tests monitor changes and how rapidly they are occurring, which can help diagnose and treat issues early, such as an accumulation of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Diagnose Medical Conditions
In some cases hearing loss is a symptom of an intrinsic medical condition like diabetes and high blood pressure (linked to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. You might be able to relieve hearing loss by treating the medical conditions causing it.
6. Stop Further Damage
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become depressed and fear social settings, inviting seclusion and further depression. Seniors with hearing issues can have increased accidents when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that mean danger. Moreover, untreated hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
Maybe you have suspected you have a hearing loss. Now you have answers, including the knowledge that hearing aids will enhance not only your hearing but also your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.
Once your hearing loss is managed with the appropriate hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear more effectively during discussions or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Get in touch with us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.